To lose weight, one must make a lifestyle change in the way they eat. It's about learning what's actually food and what is not. Food manufacturers have done a good job convincing us that processed waffles and ultra sugary yogurts are actually good for us. We've moved away from natural, whole foods to convenient replacements. Those convenient foods are often packed with sugar, sodium and fat - which our bodies quickly become addicted to - and do nothing but eat away at our waistlines and our overall health.

Whole foods are foods that are either unprocessed and unrefined, or processed as little as possible. Fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and other meats, whole grains, nuts and so forth all typically fit into a whole foods definition. If you're sitting there thinking that this sounds boring compared to store bought cookies, chocolate cake or french fries, then you're most likely addicted to the sugars, sodium and fat those types of food provide

Understand that the less you eat of sugar, sodium and fat, the less you crave it. And the more you will enjoy the tastes and temptations of whole, natural foods. That's not say the occasional piece of chocolate cake is bad. Life is for living, and chocolate cake is great! However, the vast majority of what you eat should benefit your body and health, not put you at risk for disease and a below-average life. Not to mention that the temporary feelings of happiness incurred from eating sweet, fatty foods is just that, temporary. Unhealthy eating ultimately brings with it feelings of guilt, depression, mood swings and an overall low quality of life.

Besides being good for you, what else do whole foods offer? This may surprise you, but....

Many whole foods can burn fat

Yep. Foods like citrus fruits, whole grains, and even fatty natural foods like olive oil and nuts work hard to burn fat off your body when you eat them. Talk about an excellent reason why you should be throwing away the diet candy bars and eating whole foods instead! Now that's effective weight loss!

But what about exercise?

Fat loss really boils down to burning off more than you eat. Put simply, you've got to move more. If laziness is your thing, then you probably don't like to hear this. However, consider that laziness is really just like the sugar, sodium and fat we talked about before. The lazier you are, the more you get addicted to it. On the flip side, the more you move the better you feel, and the more you get addicted to something much healthier.

And don't fret. If gyms aren't your thing, then don't go. Exercising is much more than just gyms. You enjoy fresh air don't you? Take brisk walks every day. Play with your kids on a regular basis. Take up a sport like handball or enroll in dance classes. You see the picture of the girl practicing yoga at the top of this hub? Yoga is great for burning fat. And it's perfect for every fitness level. What's stopping you from getting active today?!

How to stay motivated

One of the toughest parts about losing weight is staying excited about the journey. Keeping weight loss motivation is made much easier by:

1) Always remembering that weight loss is not impossible. No matter how many times you've tried before, you can repair your metabolism and get the healthy body you crave.

2) Remembering that weight loss is not a race. Truly effective weight loss takes time. Forget the miracle fat loss claims. You don't want to lose 20 pounds in a week. If it makes you feel any better, the people who are losing this kind of weight will most likely gain it all back and more. Study after study has proven this. Healthy weight loss in the range of 1 pound to 2 pounds a week is the kind of weight loss that leaves your body looking its best and maintains the likelihood that your fat loss will be permanent.

3) Staying focused on what you want. Visualize yourself achieving your weight goal and think about this every day. Feel the emotions - the happiness you'll experience, the freedom in being fit. Never lose site of your goal.

Eat Stop Eat

14 Day Rapid Fat Loss Macro-patterning And Interval Sequencing Program